


The Moon Rises in Autumn

by Ad_Astra, lisettedelapin



Category: Free!
Genre: F/M, Haru's butt is a recurring character, Humor, Post-Free! Eternal Summer, University, background makorin, basically this is a romcom except with naked butts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-05-05 02:21:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5357318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ad_Astra/pseuds/Ad_Astra, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lisettedelapin/pseuds/lisettedelapin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A bigger part of her is slowly making her come to terms with the fact that maybe, this crush <i>never</i> left middle school, and all it took was a mental image of Hokkaido freckles on a pale sculpted buttock to bring it back to the surface.</p><p>(or, in which Haru and Aki rediscover each other via repeated accidental exposure)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Moon Rises in Autumn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Couryielle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Couryielle/gifts).



> for Couryielle, who gave us the option to surprise her! happy haruaki party, we hope you enjoy this fic! we're sorry for it being unfinished at present -- real life got in the way. but we'll have the final part up as soon as possible! thank you for your patience <33
> 
> \- lisettedelapin

Aki leans back against the trunk of a gingko tree after finishing the last of her readings, feeling the indents of the rough bark pressing against the material of her sweater. They'll probably leave red prints on her skin later, but Aki doesn't particularly care. She closes her eyes, stretches her legs in front of her, and tilts her head to the side, trying to catch the little eyelets of orange sunlight filtering through the leaves.

It's just a couple of weeks into the new school year, and the weather is perfect-- cusp between spring and summer, cool breeze tempered by the generous warmth of the sun. Her coursework isn't too heavy yet and swim practice has yet to achieve the level of brutality she’s been thoroughly warned about. She's aware that this will all change drastically in a week, so she wants to enjoy peaceful moments like this while she still can.

This particular peaceful moment however, lasts about a minute because just as she's feeling herself falling into the throes of a nap, the ground shakes, and what sounds like a stampede rumbles through the courtyard, puncturing the quiet like a fist through a paper screen.

Her eyes snap open and she looks around, bewildered, hands scraping against the grass, and sending a mini cloud of twigs and pebbles towards her notes. On her far right, what seems like a horde of yelling, excited students steamrolls across the school yard to head over towards the oval track near the back.

Curious, she sits up straight and turns towards her classmate, who has taken the spot by the other gingko tree. "What's going on?"

Kyoko pauses in her web surfing, and peers up at her. "You don't know? Aren't you on the girls' swim team?"

"No... what does that have to do with anything?"

Kyoko shrugs and goes back to her site. "It's the boys' swim team's official membership initiation today."

The boys' swim team's ritual involves _running_ on a track? How peculiar. The girls' team didn't have initiations of any sort.

An overly excited girl accidentally trips on a rock, almost making her faceplant on the grass, but she dusts herself off quickly, and proceeds to run towards the track as if nothing happened at all.

This only dumbfounds her even more. "Why is everyone so excited about it?"

"Probably because they're all wearing nothing but thongs?"

Aki rolls her eyes. "No seriously, why is everyone tripping over themselves to go?"

"I _am_ serious." Kyoko's protests. “The ritual actually used to be full frontal nudity but when spectators started grumbling about only seeing patches of hair and not a lot else, they decided to go with sequined thongs instead. More festive that way." She turns her tablet in Aki's direction and shows the swim team's commemorative photos of said event in the university website.

Aki's eyebrows practically ascend into orbit as her eyes scan the pictures. Then she immediately gets up and starts shoving her things in her bag. "We have to go."

Kyoko wrinkles her nose demurely. "No thank you, I've had my fill of seeing boys in their underwear," she says, and promptly goes back to surfing.

"Spoilsport," Aki complains, but starts sprinting towards the oval track all the same.

"Enjoy the almost nudity!" Kyoko calls out after her. Aki grins secretly and quickens her pace.

This is apparently a huge event in the university because the bleachers are _packed,_ and some people have taken binoculars and massive camera lenses-- even the school reporter is setting up shop at the scene. Aki squeezes and shoulders her way through the throng to find a decent viewing spot when she hears her name being called behind her.

"Zaki-chan?"

Startled, she turns around and comes face to chest with a tall well-built boy in a red checkered shirt. She looks up, catches sight of a familiar mop of light brown hair and kind green eyes behind a pair of glasses. Her eyes widen in recognition. "Tachibana-kun!"

She hasn't seen him in what, three years? It's so unfair-- Tachibana has shot up even more during that time, easily towering over many students in the university. He was already a veritable tree during middle school, but now he's like that giant beanstalk thing in those Western fairy tales her father used to read to her when she was a kid.

Tachibana grins, and Aki's cheeks immediately feel hot, because that part of him hasn't changed too, still bright and warm, like getting a faceful of summer sunshine. Aki remembers how all the girls in her class giggled and talked about how Tachibana's charm point is his smile, and right now, Aki could pinpoint at least three other points for consideration too.

"Are you here to see the swim team's initiation too?" he asks.

Aki nods and sighs. "Yeah, but it seems like I've ran out of the good viewing spots..."

At that, Tachibana's smile grows even brighter. "Then, would you like to come watch with me? My friend's got a spot saved right upfront," he says. "I'd really like to catch up with you; it's been way too long since we last spoke."

 _Still so thoughtful and kind too_ , Aki muses, feeling a wave of fondness wash over her. "Yes, I would love to-- if your friend won't mind?"

"He won't," Tachibana promises, looking delighted at her acquiescence. "Come on, just follow me."

Unlike Aki, Tachibana does not need to shove against the crowd to get to where he wants to go; people just naturally step aside for him, parting like the red sea. Aki is both awed and mildly resentful. Tall people are so unfair.

They arrive at a spot right by the oval track where another freakishly tall boy is sitting down, fiddling with the settings of a video camera.

"Figured it out yet, Sousuke?" Makoto asks as soon as they reach him.

The other boy grunts out what seems to be an affirmative answer before his eyes slide over to where Aki is standing awkwardly next to him. He stops fiddling with the camera and smirks at Tachibana. "Really Makoto, it hasn't even been a month since Rin left," he says, in an obviously teasing manner, but Aki feels her cheeks go warm all the same.

Tachibana just laughs-- and this is something that has changed at least; Tachibana used to get flustered so much when he was teased about girls. "Sousuke, this is Yazaki Aki-- she's my schoolmate from both elementary and middle school," he says instead, beaming. "Zaki-chan, this is Yamazaki Sousuke, my roommate and Rin's best friend. You might have already seen each other during the swim meets in middle school."

Aki's eyes widen in surprise. Now that she looks a little more carefully, Yamazaki does look familiar-- strong chin, down-turned teal eyes, messy black hair, and a somewhat haughty expression. She remembers him swimming in the lane next to Nanase's during a tournament. She doesn't remember him being so buff before though-- he seems even more built than Makoto, which is saying something.

Yamazaki tilts his head at her, recognition also dawning on him. "Yeah, I think so. You look familiar."

"So do you! Um, you've-- Ow!"

Someone shoves against her, hard, and she winces, hand reaching around to clutch her shoulder. Tachibana immediately notices and moves around to her left.

"You should sit down, Zaki-chan," he says kindly, and gestures for her to sit right between him and Sousuke.

Having not much of a choice, she sits down, still feeling a little awkward, but at least she's safe from wayward shoulder bumps and what not.

Tachibana tosses a can of soda to Yamazaki, who thanks him and opens it up with one hand. The hiss of carbon is stark against the cacophony of human noise, as students settle into their seats.

"So uh, what course are you taking Tachibana-kun, Yamazaki-kun?" Aki asks.

"I'm taking sports education and psychology," Tachibana answers.

"Sports science and physical therapy," Yamazaki says curtly.

Aki's brow furrows. "I didn't know our university had a sports science course..."

"Oh we don't really go here!" Tachibana clarifies. He picks up another can-- Pocari Sweat, and hands it to Aki. "We're just here for the swim team ritual."

Aki accepts the proffered drink. "... So you just went here to see a bunch of athletes running in thongs?" Huh.

Yamazaki isn't even fazed. "Nah. Just one of them."

"Yeah, we're here for moral support!" Tachibana adds.

" _You're_ here for moral support; _I'm_ only here because Rin threatened to end our friendship if I don't come," Sousuke corrects. "Also, Gou asked me very nicely."

"Rin?" Aki is even more confused. "As in Matsuoka Rin? He wants to see boys in thongs?"

"No, that's Gou," Tachibana corrects, before sighing, a resigned smile playing on his lips. "Rin just wants blackmail material."

"You could have done this yourself you know?" Yamazaki complains, moodily setting up a tripod in front of him. "I have better things to do with my time than watch out for Haru's bony behind."

Her ears pick up on the name, and her breath catches in her throat for a second. She knows at least three Harus, but only one of them is a boy, and if Tachibana's here then...

"I know, but I promised Haru first that I wouldn't do anything," Tachibana answers sheepishly. "So _you_ have to do it."

Yamazaki rolls his eyes. "I can't believe Rin lets you get away with taking Nanase's side."

"He's only letting me get away with it because he knows _you'll_ do it," Tachibana answers cheekily. "This way, I don't betray Haru and Rin still gets what he wants. Win-win."

So it IS him. Nanase Haruka. Aki bites her lip, feeling her hands go clammy all of a sudden. She wipes her palms on her skirt. A feeling she has thought buried in some subterranean level of her suddenly stirs, as if summoned by the mention of that one name.

Tachibana and Yamazaki keep talking over her head (literally), as she quickly turns around, hoping to distract herself with something, _anything_ , from this rapidly growing feeling that she refuses to acknowledge, let alone name. She sees several girls looking at her with a mix of jealousy and awe, and it's only then that she realizes she's sitting in between two gorgeous, fantastically ripped boys, like a cliche'd plot point in every shoujo manga ever.

Too bad she's only interested in the boy who who happens to be the subject of their conversation.

Speaking of which...

A loud roar of cheering echoes around the oval when a group of guys in coats and elaborate masks line up at the starting blocks per track. Some of the masks are simple ones, plain white, painted with typical kabuki faces, while others are more festive, the type one would see in a European ball.

The long shrill of the whistle signalling the start of the event resounds throughout the track, and the noise of the gathering crowd dies down, as everyone waits for the race to start.

The whistle blows again and all the swimmers drop their coats with clearly practiced timing, the heavy material hitting the ground at the same time, kicking up a cloud of dust around their feet.

The whole track explodes in cheers and wild shrieking. To her own self-confessed horror, Aki feels some sort of camaraderie with the other girls in the crowd who are practically swooning in their places, as they are presented with the magnificent, practically naked bodies of extremely fit athletes.

Which makes zero sense, seeing as after being part of a swim team for the past 8 years, she should be used to seeing half-naked, super fit boys. Aki chalks it up to hormones, she's due for her monthly cycle in a couple of days or so.

The thongs are all uniform in shape but not in colour, and they all glitter under the blazing afternoon sun, owing to the sequined material they're made from. One swimmer in particular, has made the effort to coordinate his thong with his mask, pairing the shiny skimpy underwear with an elaborate Venetian style mask, painted navy blue, the centerpiece crowned by four royal purple feathers, the sides trimmed with gold.

Like this, he looks more like high-class gigolo than a swimmer, and Aki can definitely hear the extra appreciation from all the girls (and some guys) in the crowd.

Getting a college education while training to become pro, Aki decides, is definitely the correct life choice.

"We don't even know who Nanase is among those other clowns," Yamazaki grouses, but he props up the camera on a tripod all the same.

" _I'll_ know," Tachibana chirps. "It's really easy.."

"... Please don't tell me he has a heart-shaped birthmark on his right ass cheek, because that's the kind of information I never ever want to know. Ever."

Aki's traitorous train of thought immediately begs to differ, and she quickly takes a huge gulp of her drink.

"What no! I was going to tell you about his mask!" Makoto protests. "I was with him when he built it."

Yamazaki breathes out a sigh of relief and relaxes. "Okay, great I can handle--"

"--But..." Tachibana interrupts cheerfully. "...if that's the identifier you're looking for, he has a bunch of freckles that form the shape of Hokkaido on his left butt cheek, near the top of his thigh."

Aki doesn't choke on her drink, god no. She calmly removes the tip from her lips, sets it down on the floor under the bench, and then reaches behind her to untie her ponytail, letting her shoulder length hair fall loose.

Then she leans forward ever so slightly, gravity allowing her hair to fall around her face, creating a subtle but invaluable cover because she is certain she's blushing so violently, Tachibana would probably suspect her of getting heatstroke.

Her traitorous and wretchedly active imagination slowly processes this new information and births a completely unnecessary image, one that she suspects won’t be vacating her memory banks any time soon. Part of her wants to laugh, play along like it's perfectly normal for her to be amused by juicy tidbits about her middle-school crush's anatomy. However, a bigger part of her is slowly making her come to terms with the fact that maybe, this crush _never_ left middle school, and all it took was a mental image of Hokkaido freckles on a pale sculpted buttock to bring it back to the surface.

"Wow," she ekes out, hoping she doesn't stammer. "That's... that's very um, interesting Tachibana-kun...."

The chipper look on Tachibana's face slowly dissolves into a mask of horrified panic. "Oh no, I'm so sorry Zaki-chan, that was so inappropriate of me!" he cries. “Please forgive me."

Yamazaki smirks. "Serves you right," he chides, and turns to Aki. "Can you believe this guy? I don't know how he gets away with being the nice friend between us."

The unexpected display of support from an otherwise complete stranger kickstarts the playful side of Aki, overcoming the shy, flustered side, and she nods, hoping she's pulling off the full effect of the stern, solemn look she's going for. "Tachibana-kun, I would never have expected this behaviour from you. Who would have thought you'd easily divulge your best friend's delicate secrets?"

"I'm sorry," Tachibana all but wails, and Aki feels a little guilty, but nonetheless mollified at this most timely distraction from her own impure thoughts.

Before any of them can reply, the swimming coach's voice booms across the field. "Swimmers! On your marks!"

The team gets into position, bracing one foot against the kickoff, one knee bent in front of them.

"Get set... Go!" The whistle blows for the last time, and all the swimmers take off and run.

Tachibana's spot is around 200 meters from the starting point, and is right beside the track, affording them a front row view of the team once they pass by.

"Good luck!" Aki cheers, waving madly as the swimmers pass by where they're seated. "Go Nanase-kun!"

One of the running boys quickly whips his head around towards her, and even with the mask on, Aki can tell that his eyes have widened in shock. She instantly recognizes him, at the same time _he_ recognizes her.

In true shoujo manga fashion, Nanase stares at her a little too long and ends up crashing into the runner ahead of him, which creates a domino effect of at least three more people. Curses are shouted, limbs tangle and flail, and the resulting cacophony ends up with four of them sprawled on the ground, half on top of each other, with Nanase on the very end, his royal-blue thong clad butt slightly elevated in the air.

Nanase has a flat ass, Aki notes. She also doesn't miss the fact that Nanase does have a clump of freckles on his left butt cheek shaped like Hokkaido.

The rest of the crowd falls into hushed silence, as the fallen swimmers all try to right themselves up, kicking up a cloud of dust as they do so, before finally disentangling themselves long enough to resume their run.

Aki sits back down, getting the sinking feeling that something Very Important has happened. One hopes that the intermittent murmurs of _"Did you hear?"_ and _"That one with the fancy mask is Nanase!"_ and even _"wow, never thought he'd be a klutz on land"_ is not relevant to that something.

Tachibana is staring at her, his face a horrible mask of despair. "Zaki-chan," he whispers, lower lip trembling as if he's struggling to get the next words out. "You're not supposed to... oh god, Haru's going to _kill_ me."

He turns towards Yamazaki for... advice, reassurance, sage words of wisdom, Aki has no idea what, but it doesn't matter as it seems that Yamazaki doesn't seem like he's capable of saying anything at all. Presently, he looks like he's entering cardiac arrest, judging from how he's doubled over, laughing so hard, one wonders how he hasn't snorted soda out of his nose yet.

Aki bites her lip, mind still whirring from the intensity of that short exchange. "...I'm not supposed to what?"

Tachibana peers up at her looking miserable. "They wore those masks for a reason, Zaki-chan," he replies hoarsely before laying his elbows over his knees and burying his face in his hands, muttering apologies to Nanase under his breath.

_Oh._

Ohhhh.

 

\--

 

After what feels like way too long, Haru finally escapes the hounding from his team for his initiation ritual mishap. He’d been on the receiving end of a mixed bag of reactions -- ranging from a very sulky “ _you’re lucky you swim better than you run, Nanase_ ”, to the triumphant “ _sprinting past your sparkling, upended ass felt like getting to the checkpoint of a video game_ ”, and all the way back to outright hysterical laughter.

But there’s been something else on his mind since he stacked it. And for now, it’s stalling the embarrassment he’s sure will catch up to him later.

He thinks he’s exhausted all the places he could reasonably find Makoto when he makes it back to the track, only to see Makoto running towards him. Sousuke is there as well, following at a leisurely pace.

“Haru!” Makoto shouts, holding a hand up, not slowing when Haru begins to walk in his direction so they can meet halfway.

When Makoto catches up to him, pausing to catch his breath, Haru simply waits.

Makoto brings his hands together, as if in prayer. “Haru, I am so sorry, so so sorry. I didn’t think--” He pauses, interrupted by Sousuke coming to stand beside him.

“Chill,” Sousuke says. “There’s no way the entire audience heard his name. And even if they did, it’s only second week so it’s not like they’ll have a face to match it to.”

Sousuke nods at Haru now, smirking. “Great show though. Thanks, Nanase.”

Haru does not grace any of this with a relevant response. “The girl next to you--she was--”

Makoto’s eyes widen, the apologetic look fading fast as he raises his eyebrows in surprise.

“Yazaki,” Haru says. “From when we were kids.”

“You could tell?”

“So it was her?”

Makoto nods. Haru can tell he’s curious.

Sousuke watches this entire exchange with that lazily attentive gaze of his. Haru turns his head to look away from them both.

“It hasn’t been that long,” he mutters.

He hears Makoto exhale. “No, I suppose it hasn’t,” he says. “Y-you’re not upset?”

Haru sighs. “Not really.” He chances a look back to Makoto and Sousuke. They’re both still watching him carefully.

“What was she doing here?”

“She goes here too,” Makoto answers.

Haru’s breath catches just as his heart stutters oddly. It was the reasonable explanation but he hadn’t considered it somehow. The thought of actually seeing Yazaki again had never crossed his mind in Iwatobi, let alone Tokyo.

He lets the knowledge sit, tries to recall her face as he’d seen it in the stands with closer detail.

With the effort, he finds that there are fragments of who he remembers her to be returning to him. The type of memories he hadn’t even known he’d stored, scattered well enough to seem hazy when strung together. There’s her standing arm in arm with a relay team. A conversation on a bench he’d shared with her; her eyes as honest as what she’d said about the message Haru had written on a brick. Her face turned to the sky, smile small and for herself but no less bright.

“Seems you’ve got some history,” Sousuke says, raising an eyebrow.

The memories hide from Haru as suddenly as they’d reappeared.

And he can’t help but wonder about her.

\--

 

Haru has just set one foot into the sanctuary of his bathtub when the whistling begins.

It’s an odd sound, distant but like it’s trying to wind its way through the walls. He huffs, shakes his head, and decides to pay it no mind. After all, bath time is not something he could be so easily distracted from. But he’s halfway to getting his other foot in the tub when the whistle springs forth to burst into an earsplitting ringing.

He hops out, heart racing as his mind blanks.

There are footsteps then, in a rush, beyond the walls of his dorm. And as the clamour gets closer, a low, automated voice layers stark against the ringing.

“EVACUATE NOW, EVACUATE NOW—“ and then again and again in a loop.

Is this the cold welcome they get to the end of the world?

Haru’s breath leaves him in a rush as he realises he should probably be hightailing it out of here right now. He looks down, notices with a start that _oh_ , he’s still naked.

He casts one last forlorn look at his bathtub. Time pauses long enough for him to give it an apologetic nod. Then the ringing catches up to beat against the building and he snatches for the first scrap of fabric he can find as he hastens for the door.

The problem is, the first article atop a pile of clothing will almost unfailingly be the last thing one has taken off.

He doesn’t get to join the herd so much as he is completely swept in it, packed so tightly he thinks it’s impossible anyone could notice he’s wearing nothing but his underwear. But that’s not really his concern. He’s never been body shy, exactly but it’s far from comfortable being half…three-quarters naked in the midst of a crowd of people he hardly knows.

Then again, that should probably be the least of his worries. He thinks he can hear someone crying and there’s a booming voice from behind him that sounds more excited than it should as it proclaims that the entire seventh floor is “HOLY SHIT, COMPLETELY FILLED WITH FIRE.”

It is only Haru’s _second week_ of living on campus. He blows out his breath as slow as he can when he feels a shoulder or an elbow or maybe even a foot ( _who knows?_ ) jab into him.

Cringing, he tries to distract himself from an errant butt touch. It’s with some sullenness that he imagines that Makoto at least would be large enough to bulldoze (gently of course; this is Makoto) his way through the crowd. What time is it even? It’s past dark; Haru knows that. He’s wondering if Makoto has eaten dinner when he all but hurtles through the fire escape and the residents of the fourth floor flow to the sea of people advancing down the stairs. As a whole, the majority seems to be a whole lot calmer now, moving in a formation that at least resembles an attempt at single file. And no one is panicking except for the odd first year. Maybe this is standard fare? Whatever it is, Haru just really wants out. It’s too stuffy and the lights are a lot brighter than they were in the hallway and someone is tapping him on the shoulder, saying, “ _sorry, did you uh maybe want to borrow my jacket?_ ” when he stumbles out the ground floor door and into the night.

Outside, the crowd has already dispersed into smaller huddled groups of fully clothed, disgruntled university students.

On heavy legs, Haru tries to walk towards the fold. He doesn’t know if it would be better to face his back or his front towards them.

He wonders if anyone can recognise him from the swim team ceremony; the “Nanase-kun” plunging towards a stack of bodies like some bedazzled version of a baroque painting. He hears Sousuke guffawing in his head.

But then Haru remembers what Sousuke had said afterwards. He was wearing a mask so no one should be able to match his name to his face. And at his own sigh of relief, Haru feels deeply frustrated. Just as he’d thought, the embarrassment had caught up with him in due time, deepening the less he concerned himself with thinking he’d suddenly sighted Yazaki on campus again.

Honestly, he really had grown to, in a strange way, appreciate the thong. What little there was to look at was a regal shade of blue. The big problem wasn’t his state of undress; it was messing up in front of everyone in his state of undress.

It’s only his second week and he’s already been pushed into situations he’d have ordinarily turned his nose at. But he’s been playing along and in return he’s only had curveballs thrown at him. It’s unsettling how little control over anything he seems to have in Tokyo.

Haru frowns. Keeping his back to the crowd, he stares resolutely at the placid beige of the university boarding house. If he stays rooted to this spot, then nothing can sway him.

He sees now that the seventh floor (or any other floor) does not appear to be on fire. It’s a good thing too as the building is surrounded by stiff-trunked pine trees. Apparently it’s to improve air quality and afford more privacy to residents. Haru thinks it’s more because the pines have a manner of looming in a way that appears disapproving of any questionable behaviour. Still, it doesn’t seem to stop anyone.

It’s irritating how he can still hear everyone’s voices behind him. Haru doesn’t want to be eavesdropping but the chatter is loud and incessant. There’s a common conversation theme of speculating how the fire came about (irresponsible smokers, blowdryer mishaps, Yamane tried to microwave metal again), or griping about what a drag this entire evacuation thing is in the midst of everyones’ very busy lives. Haru is fast learning that university students will jump at the chance to complain about anything that they are not, but should or could be doing.

At the sound of presumably Yamane’s defensive wailing regarding his culinary prowess, Haru remembers Makoto again. Someone had mentioned it’s past 10pm. Really, has Makoto eaten yet? Normally, Sousuke would cook for them both but he’d been invited out tonight. Haru tries to plan the text he will send when he gets back to his room. If he threatens to tell Rin that Makoto isn’t eating right, Makoto should set down the block of chocolate he is most likely nursing right now. They both know full well that Rin wouldn’t let him hear the end of it – even from all the way in Australia.

Despite being inopportunely three-quarters naked in front of a building that is apparently on fire, Haru cannot stop the stray smile from tugging at his mouth.

He hears something then that makes his smile falter with as much ease as it had come.

He doesn’t dare breathe; his heart freezes so as not to crowd the passing sound. For a moment in time he is wired entirely to deciphering it.

It’s only laughter, as pleasant as genuine laughter often is, but nothing remarkable.

But it’s _familiar._

Here, Haru does not expect familiarity.

Yet there it is. A girl is laughing and Haru hears it like he’s underwater, he hears it just as he might see something caught half by the sun.

Abruptly, it comes to a stop. Somehow, it’s much harder to ignore once it’s gone. His earlier convictions don’t matter. He needs to turn, just to know for sure that Tokyo is only messing with him; this is no one he has ever known before.

Just a glance.

He spins on his heel and decides that _yes_ , Tokyo is definitely messing with him.

She’s already facing him. And by the way her eyes widen, cheeks colouring red enough to make Haru feel embarrassed too, he’s just caught her staring. Her pyjamas have ducks on them. Her friends are giggling behind her. But that’s not it.

Brown eyes, brown hair. He’s seen her smile enough times to know the shape of her mouth.

“ _Nanase—_ “

For the second time since he moved here, Haru finds himself practically naked in front of none other than Yazaki Aki.

“You…you’re…” her words fall as she exhales in a disbelieving huff. But whatever she breathes in stretches her cheeks in a wide smile, her eyes brightening. “Nanase-kun, you live on campus?“

Haru thinks he manages to nod. He’s too struck by the sight of Yazaki up close to untangle word from thought. She’s hardly any taller but still, she looks more mature through changes Haru can’t quite trace the shape of. How is she both so different and so similar to how he remembers? Does she feel the same looking at him? He supposes he looks pretty different from his middle school graduation photos too.

Knitting her fingers, Yazaki speaks again. “Oh, wait no! You might not even remember me!” She shakes her head at herself, smile softening. “I’m—“

“Yazaki,” Haru finishes for her, his tongue unsticking, voice registering as dreamlike somehow.

Yazaki Aki with the not so white scarf, with the joyous stroke, the watchful eyes.

She’s surprised enough to level her gaze back to him. And then she looks irrefutably happy.

Yazaki Aki with her sunflower smile.

It’s only been three years. Does she really think that’s long enough to forget?

“You live here too?” Haru asks, dumbly. The answer is obvious, how else would she be standing in front of him?

She has the grace to not dismiss the question. “Yes! I moved in a while before break ended so I’ve been here for some time now. How about you, Nanase-kun?”

“Since just before the start of semester.”

The shortness of his reply doesn’t faze her. Yazaki nods, warmth lingering in the shape of her eyes. “Ah, you must still be settling in. What are you studying?”

“I’m majoring in art,” Haru says. It probably isn’t the way this conversation is supposed to flow but he has to ask. “Do you still swim?”

“Of course!" One side of Yazaki’s mouth pulls up. She always knew she was good. "I’m on the girl’s team, actually. And um you—“

Inexplicably, she blushes again. For a moment she seems like she is trying very hard not to look at him.

“I know you’re on the team because, uh...you did a really great job at...” she lowers her voice suddenly. “The _ceremony._ You know, despite that...hiccup at the start.”

Haru manages to raise an eyebrow despite the pesky heat rising at his cheeks. Yazaki doesn’t look like she’s finished talking, her mouth still parted.

She gulps. “I-I don’t know if you realised it was me at the time but I got a bit excited when I found out you were down there and uh, I was kind of the one who blew your cover.” Her eyebrows slant upwards. “I’m really sorry, Nanase-kun.”

Haru frowns. He’d known full well that she had been not “kind of” but definitely the one who blew his cover. But he hadn’t felt any anger towards her; it was without a doubt Makoto’s fault, anyway.

He sighs. “I knew it was you.”

He catches her worrying her lip between her teeth at that and he feels the need to say something more. He gives an unaffected shrug. “I’m not upset. You wouldn’t have known if it weren’t for Makoto. You can leave it.”

Yazaki still looks unsure, but before she can continue they’re interrupted by the sound of sirens as the fire truck finally pulls up to the building. Truth be told, Haru had completely forgotten about their supposedly blazing building. The crowd seems to grow even more restless, knowing that it is almost time to go back inside.

“They took their time, huh? I think they’ve been called here so frequently that they’re not even taking it seriously anymore.” Yazaki’s eyes are on the truck now. “Last time it was for a burning sock,” she adds.

_A burning sock?_

“That sounds like Makoto trying to figure out a grill.”

At that, Yazaki laughs. But it hadn’t been a joke. Haru decides against telling her; there’s a feeling that strikes in a wave when he hears a sound that brings him back to Iwatobi in the midst of all the new things Tokyo pushes on him.

“You keep in touch, even now.” Yazaki sounds expectant but it’s a statement, not a question.

He and Makoto had always seemed a package deal. Haru imagines it appears that hasn’t changed one bit. He shrugs. They’re best friends; it’s important they keep in touch. He wrings his hands and nods once, leading his gaze to the floor. “We’re doing different things but yeah, we do.”

When he looks back up, Yazaki is smiling so he adds, “He’s studying to become a swimming coach. He wants to work with kids.”

“Ah, right, he said he was majoring in sports education. He’d be perfect for coaching!” Aki chuckles. “I’m guessing he’ll have a slightly different style to Coach Sasabe though.”

She seems to soften now. “How nostalgic…”

Haru is trying to imagine Sasabe’s face as Makoto’s in all of his childhood memories. Makoto with starburns... It’s a peculiar enough thought for some of the sentimentality to be lost.

The truck is rolling back out now, the non-fire contained. Students begin to filter back into the building but Yazaki stays still, lingering as her friends give up on trying to subtly watch over Haru and her and, instead, move for the entrance.

One of them calls her name after they’ve advanced a few steps towards the building -- _Akiiiiiiiiii-chan_ , come _on_ \-- but Yazaki waves a hand, telling them to go first. When she looks at Haru again, the curve of her mouth is subtle enough to be sly. Or is he imagining that?

“Nanase-kun?”

Haru nods.

“I know you said to leave it but, um…” She tilts her head slightly, hair fanning over the line of her shoulder, her eyes are clear, focused on Haru. “So you did recognise me at the race?”

Haru stays rooted to his spot. The answer is obvious but the way she asks isn’t. “Yeah,” he replies, oddly self-conscious.

“I had a feeling you did,” Yazaki says.

There’s something like a twinkle in her eye and Haru can’t decide if he wants more to shy away or to look at her. When she glances past him at the building and his heart beats a faster tempo as her gaze returns to him, he feels no less certain.

“Coincidence after coincidence after coincidence,” She says, laughing softly. “We’ll see each other around, right Nanase-kun?”

He hums, not quite sure if he’s agreeing or not. In any case, he’s at a loss for words. Aki shifts her feet away from him at yet another call from her friends, but not before fixing him with a sheepish smile.

“It’s a wonder you’re not cold.”

And then she’s gone, leaving that warmth of hers. Dazed, Haru looks down and remembers that _oh,_ he forgot he was basically naked. Not butt-naked, but still basically naked.

His ears burn hot enough to make him think it’s not a wonder at all.

_Why is Tokyo…_

\--

 

The two months before the prefectural tournament breezes by. Aki is quickly preoccupied by her course load and swim training, which seems to grow in intensity for every passing week. Most days, she just collapses on her bed as soon as she gets home, too exhausted to do much else. Their coach is tough, and their practices are brutal. Still, she feels herself growing steadily stronger-- her times are improving vastly, and her staminaa is approaching levels she once deemed terrifying.

The boys and girls’ team swim team have different practice schedules which means that she doesn't have much opportunity to bump into Nanase. Occasionally, she sees him walking towards campus, or running in between classes. By some miracle, no one burns a sock or encounters an electrical mishap in two months, which is a relief for the local fire department for sure.

The fruits of her labour manifests in the prefectural tournament, where she and her relay team bagged first place in the 400m girls’ medley relay. Apart from this, their university team also won first place and broke the current record for the men's 100 meter free (Haru), as well as several silver and bronze medals for other events, making their first competition as university students an astounding success. Naturally, the next logical course of action is to throw a party.

The party is going to be held in a clubhouse in Ginza, and the organizers call for a cocktail dress code, so Aki takes the opportunity to do some personal shopping. Her quest for the best dress ends up with her in Shibuya, riffling through the various clothing racks of Xanadu.

She's in the middle of choosing between a white eyelet shift dress and a wine-red wrap dress, when she hears a gasp, followed by her name being called behind her.

"Yazaki-chan?"

She turns around and spots a tall boy with a familiar head of light, cotton-candy hair, walking towards her, violet eyes twinkling. "It is you!" he gushes when he reaches her side "Wow, I never expected to see you here in Tokyo! Do you remember me?"

Of course, how could she forget someone with a name like: "Shigno Kisumi," she replies, tilting her head to the side, smiling.

Shigino beams at her. "Ah you remembered! I'm so glad!"

Aki laughs. "It's good to see you again Shigino-kun," she says warmly. "You've grown so much taller!"

Shigino’s dazzling grin falters a little. "Not as tall as Makoto though," he says, sighing forlornly. "Which is so unfair, since I'm the basketball player here."

Aki has to agree-- she has personally seen how tall Tachibana is quite recently after all. "You guys still keep in touch?"

"Of course! We go to the same university with Sousuke after all," Shigino answers. "They live in the unit across mine, which is so lucky, because Sousuke can cook super well, and Makoto is really generous with leftovers, so I never go hungry."

Aki laughs--- they make for an interesting trio. She imagines grumpy Yamazaki-kun in an apron slaving over a hot stove for Tachibana and Shigino, like a disgruntled mother hen feeding her hyperactive baby chicks. "How terribly convenient for you then."

"Very," Shigino agrees. "I'm so happy we're all together again." He glances at the rack she's looking at and shoves his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. "Anyway, what's the occasion? Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"Cocktail party," she replies. She picks out her two choices and holds them out to Shigino. "What do you think?"

Shigino studies her choices for a while before asking: "What's the effect you're going for?"

She shrugs nonchalantly. "I just want to look nice." When Shigino doesn't seem convinced of her answer, she hurriedly adds: "Well um, I'd like to look more... feminine I guess? I'm not really used to dressing up."

Shigino's eyes take on a teasing glint. "Do you want to appeal to anyone? Boys maybe?"

Aki shrugs, though her cheeks heat up a little, when she remembers one particular boy she wouldn't mind appealing to. "Not really, but it's a nice bonus."

"What type of boys?" Shigino presses, clearly not about to let go of this topic soon.

Aki sighs. It's not like Shigino will know exactly who she's referring to so she might as well humour him. "Quiet type," she mumbles.

"Quiet type." Shigino echoes, stroking his chin as if in contemplation before scrutinizing her choices again. "Is he a swimmer?"

"Yes."

Shigino grins and takes both her choices. "Then, not these definitely." He puts back the white and red dresses and leads her towards another section of the store, one that is all monochrome-- white, black and grey pieces sectioned by style.

He reaches towards a rack and pulls an item out. "Here. My cousin Satsuki has always told me that for girls who are not sure what to wear but want to impress no matter what, a little black dress is the way to go," he explains. "You have long legs and really nice collarbones, so I think something that shows off both would work very nicely on you."

Aki reaches for Shigino's selection. It's a black, A-line dress, fitted around the waist, made with a mix of silk and cotton, with an off-shoulder neckline and long sleeves. Aki holds it against herself-- the hemline would probably reach around 2 inches above her knee. Short, but nothing too scandalous. The long sleeves would cover for her muscular arms but show off her broad shoulders, which seems like a good enough balance in terms of how much of her body she feels comfortable exposing to the world. She likes it a lot already.

She hopes Nanase likes it too.

"Okay, I'll take it," she decides and Shigino brightens up, delighted at her easy acquiescence.

"Pair it up with these," he adds, holding out a pair of deadly black stilettos-- strappy black suede with a metal, three-inch pin heel.

They're gorgeous but... "They look more like weapons than shoes," she comments, eyeing them warily. More importantly, they also cost 7k yen, which will make a huge dent in her budget.

"All the more reason to wear them," Shigino quips with a cheeky grin. He leans in close, his breath tickling the hair near her ear. "Trust me, Haru will _love_ it."

Aki immediately blushes but before she can even begin to _deny_ anything, Shigino darts away and makes a dramatic show of checking his watch. "Oh no, I need to go-- I have basketball practice in an hour! It's nice seeing you again Yazaki-chan! Bye!"

He blows her a kiss and hurries out the store, disappearing out the corner before Aki can even say goodbye properly.

Aki clutches the items Shigino chose, feeling her face grow warm. How could he have possibly known--?

 _They live in the unit across mine_ , Shigino had mentioned. Aki groans out loud.

Tachibana. Of course. That's it, the next time they see each other, Aki's going to have _words_ with him.

She brings the items to the counter, wincing at the total cost, and resigns herself to living like a monk for the next couple of weeks.

Nanase had better show up in that party later.

\--

 

When Aki arrives, the room isn't full yet; it's fairly early in the evening so the party is just warming up. There's music coming from the speakers, some artsy, jazz music-- relaxing enough for conversation but catchy enough to complement the party atmosphere. The food and drinks are ready though, and upon being prompted by a loud grumbling in her stomach, she quickly makes a beeline towards the buffet table.

She dines on salmon canapes, fancy maki rolls, and a bunch of cheeses with names she can't pronounce. The food is excellent at the very least, and they’re all easy to eat, which puts her fears of messing up her dress to rest. Her relay team eventually arrives and joins her and they appropriate the nearest couch to themselves.

"You look amazing Aki-chan!" Michiru gushes, looking at her admiringly. "I've never seen you in something so fancy before-- you look all grown up!"

"Yeah, I swear I saw at least three guys from the boys' team staring at you when you walked by the fruit punch," Ino chimes in, propping her chin on her palm as she looks her over, smiling slyly.

"Thanks guys," she replies ducking her head and hoping her modest smile doesn't have any wayward flecks of nori in it. Another thing she's not used to, compliments on her appearance. Aki hasn't particularly thought about herself as shabby-looking, but she's not used to receiving compliments for her appearance. Boys usually like girls with slim shoulders, ample chests, thigh gaps and long hair, and Aki is the total opposite of that. It's not that she's insecure about her figure; she's just accepted that she doesn't fit into the usual standard of female beauty, and she's fine with that.

"Make sure you show yourself to Nanase-kun later alright?"

Aki nearly chokes on her salmon. Quickly, she wipes her lips. "Michiru!" she protests. "What on earth gave you the idea that--"

"---I saw you talking with him last night during the evacuation," she cuts in looking giddy. "Seriously, Aki-chan, he's hot! And you probably have the best chance among all of us."

"He's not that hot," Aki lies weakly. _He's beautiful._

"Speaking of..." Ino nudges her with an elbow and gestures to the door with her head.

Aki's heartbeat speeds up, already knowing what she's going to see. She turns around.

Nanase walks in. And he's in a suit. A real honest-to-goodness _suit_ , with the fancy cufflinks, white undershirt, and even a royal blue tie. The last overkill detail is his hair-- he has it slicked back, affording a clear view of his eyes. He looks a bit uncomfortable in it, though it doesn't detract from just how gorgeous he is. Aki's suddenly regretting her choice to prioritize style over comfort because her knees are showing signs of weakening, and thin stiletto heels are not lending her the support she needs right now.

To nobody's surprise, Nanase has brought Tachibana as his plus one. Aki suspects that it is actually the other boy who had to convince Nanase to attend this gathering, even if the coach has made it abundantly clear to Nanase that his presence is mandatory.

Tachibana's not wearing a suit, but instead, a formal, long sleeved white polo, with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He forgoes a tie in favour of leaving the first three buttons of his green undershirt undone, allowing a peek of his collarbones, the valley between his pectorals, and what seems to be a silver shark tooth necklace. Aki doesn't know how it's possible that such a careless look can spike a person's hotness so much, but it works wonders for Tachibana, who looks like he walked straight from a fashion runway.

Aki watches as Nanase and Tachibana make their way into the room, noting how the two of them catch attention so easily, both girls and boys stopping briefly in their conversation to allow themselves a quick glance. Not that it's any surprise; Tachibana turns heads wherever he goes, and Nanase is easily one of the most effortlessly beautiful boys in campus. Their combination is positively deadly.

"God Aki, you're so lucky," Michiru says, sighing dreamily. "Do you know if his best friend has a girlfriend yet?"

"He's already taken," Aki answers quickly, remembering Matsuoka's sharp smile. "Sorry."

Michiru pouts. "Darn."

Aki continues to sip her mocktail, while occasionally glancing at the two best friends from the corner of her eye.

It looks like Tachibana's slowly weaning Nanase off his habit of letting the other boy speak for him, because they're both talking to different people at the same time, though they still stay within easy reach of each other.

When Tachibana spots Aki, his face lights up and he immediately excuses himself from his current conversation to walk over to her. Nanase notices too and makes a move to follow but is interrupted by another teammate looping an arm around him to lead him over to a group of girls. Girls who are definitely not members of the swim team. Girls with long hair and thigh gaps and ample breasts and slim shoulders. And there are three of them.

Aki frowns. What is that teammate of his thinking, everyone knows Nanase hates being crowded by strangers. He's clearly uncomfortable, feet shifting occasionally. Aki should rescue him.

She doesn't notice when Tachibana reaches their table, until he's standing directly in front of her.

"Aki!" Michiru hisses, and Aki snaps out of her intense scrutiny of Nanase and his behaviour outside his natural habitat, practically coming face to crotch with the silver of Tachibana's belt buckle.

"Good evening!" Tachibana greets, eyes twinkling, his easygoing smile powered up to maximum wattage. He shoves his hand inside the pockets of his khakis and tilts his head to one side. "Would you mind if I borrow Zaki-chan for a bit?"

"Sure, but feel free to borrow the rest of us too," Ino teases, before not-so-subtly nudging Aki out of her seat.

Aki stands up quickly, steering Tachibana away from their table before her friends melt into a puddle of estrogen before him. They step off towards the backyard, where the full moon shines a shimmering silver path along the aquamarine waters of a circular swimming pool.

"Zaki-chan you look amazing," Tachibana says softly, once they're out of earshot. He takes a good look at her, eyes bright, and his smile sincere.

Aki immediately feels at ease. "You're no slouch yourself," she shoots back, grinning.

Tachibana laughs. "Thank you. I was afraid I’d be a bit underdressed but I don't really own a suit, and I'm not even part of your swim team so..."

"I'm pretty sure a lot of people share my opinion," Aki teases back, remembering the wave of appreciative glances his entrance has caused. "You're rocking that charmingly disheveled look by the way. Matsuoka-kun is clearly rubbing off on you."

"Ahahahah yeah... about that... " Tachibana scratches the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "I was actually going to ask you for a favour."

Aki raises an eyebrow. This is unusual. "... What kind of favour?"

Tachibana bites his lip and looks down. "Um... you see, Rin is going to my apartment in an hour to surprise me..." he starts carefully. "And--"

"If it's a surprise, how come you know about it?" Aki interrupts. She already has an inkling where this is going...

"Sousuke told me when he found out I'm leaving for Haru's party... So now I have to act surprised so Rin won't get mad at him," Tachibana answers. He scuffs his shoe on the ground, looking apologetic. "So um, I have to leave. Now."

"But you've only been here for twenty minutes!"

"Yes I know, but someone has to make Haru attend a party thrown partially in his honour! I'd really love to stick around more, but well... it's Rin." He takes a deep breath and lets it out in one long exhale. "And... I've really missed him."

Aki's heart positively melts at longing in Tachibana's voice-- raw around the edges, but soft at the same time. How can anyone resist? "And.. let me guess, you want me to keep Nanase-kun company when you're gone?" she asks

Tachibana nods and looks up hopefully. "Please?"

Aki sighs. She really couldn't say no to Tachibana-- long distance relationships are hard, and she's not going to begrudge her old elementary school friends the few chances they have to be together.

Not because he keeps throwing her puppy eyes or anything stupid like that. And certainly not because she has a persistent crush on Nanase to begin with and that she's way better company than any of those other girls. Nope.

"Fine," she relents. "But you owe me."

Tachibana beams like a beacon and nods. "I'll treat you and Haru to coffee one day okay? Thank you so much Zaki-chan!"

Without waiting for her to reply, Tachibana hurries back into the house. Aki follows after him and watches in amusement as he heads towards Nanase, who is now thankfully girl-free, and they do that thing where they communicate using their personal non-verbal code of meaningful looks and shoulder nudges and eyelid batting or whatever else they do that drives other people in their company nuts.

A few seconds later, Tachibana makes his way towards the exit but not without throwing her another look, which to her eternal embarrassment, looks more like a giddy, i'm-so-excited-for-you-guys look, instead of an apologetic 'sorry-again-for-throwing-this-at-you look.

Either Tachibana has disturbing mind-reading powers or Aki is just that transparent. She hopes it's the former, which says a lot about her priorities.

She grabs a glass of punch from a tray being passed around and strides purposefully toward Nanase, who is currently studying the food table, empty plate in hand. She takes a sip of her drink and frowns. Darn. It's not spiked. A little bit of liquid courage would be really useful right now.

Oh well. Time to see if her Shigino-inspired outfit is worth the hefty price tag she paid for it. "The salmon canapes are pretty good," Aki says, as soon as she reaches him, making sure her voice is just the right blend of casual and friendly. "Also, they have this 100 day old cheese that sounds disgusting but it's really good."

Nanase turns towards her, surprised. But he recovers quickly and nods. "Thanks," he says, and proceeds to pick up several pieces of Aki's recommendations. He then bypasses the rows of multi-coloured drinks on the side and opts to pick up a glass of water from the far end.

"No punch for you?"

"Water is fine," Nanase answers. He turns around again, plate in one hand, glass of water in the other, and just looks at her. His expression is uncertain, boyish, momentarily diffusing the elegance of his ensemble, but it just makes him more attractive for some reason.

Aki's never been shy around Nanase, not when they were kids and only had swimming in common, and not when they're on the cusp of adulthood, getting chased out of their building because of some careless neighbours who keep triggering fire hazards.

But there's a difference between seeing him as that ridiculously talented, unsociable boy whose swimming enamoured everyone who saw him, and the person standing in front of her now, quiet and unsure, out of his natural element, but no less beautiful for it.

Funny how she never batted an eyelid after seeing Nanase in nothing but his underwear but is suddenly getting inconvenient swooping sensations in her gut now that he's got several layers of clothing on him.

"Um... let's sit down?" she manages to eke out when Nanase still doesn't say anything more.

Nanase nods, and follows Aki towards the couch she was occupying earlier, which has been mysteriously evacuated by her teammates.

Aki sits down on one end and Nanase takes the other, carefully balancing his plate in his hand as he puts down his glass of water on the coffee table before him. Around them, more guests trickle in, mingling with the others, the various chatter serving as ambient noise. Surprisingly, no one tries to bother either of them. Aki hopes it stays that way.

Nanase picks one of the canapes, studies it for a minute before delicately putting it into his mouth.

Aki crosses her legs and leans forward, elbow rested on her thigh, chin cradled on her palm. "Good, right?"

Nanase nods, still chewing.

Pleased, Aki takes another sip of her punch, suddenly finding herself enjoying it a lot more. Maybe she won't need the alcohol after all. Nanase is quiet, but he's not awkward about it-- he doesn't say much but it's easy to tell that he _listens_.

And if Aki's to be completely honest with herself, she really doesn't mind taking up the bulk of their conversation, as long as she has Nanase's full attention. "It's nice to see you fully dressed," she teases, her mind flashing back to the memory of Nanase shamelessly standing in his puny underwear outside the dorms. "Finally."

Haru swallows his food, and Aki can't help noticing that his cheeks have turned a little pink. Cute. "Yes..." he mumbles to his tie. "Finally."

This unusual display of shyness from Nanase boosts Aki's confidence, and she dares to moves a little closer, her right hand resting a few inches away from Nanase's thigh. "I'm just kidding," she says, giving him her best smile and hoping she doesn't have parsley stuck in her teeth or something. "You look really good, Nanase-kun."

The compliment makes Nanase's eyebrows rise, his lips parted slightly. "Thanks,” he returns after a while. Then he smiles-- a tiny, barely there smile but it hits Aki like a splash of water to the face. “So do you, Aki.”

Aki's eyes widen.

_Did he just call me--_

Nanase seems to come to this realization at the same time, because the pink on his cheeks evolves to a deeper shade, approaching red, which is really stark against his pale skin. He opens his mouth, as if to apologize, but Aki raises her hand, making him pause.

She can physically feel the corners of her mouth lifting into a huge smile, one that no doubt reflects the inexplicable giddiness coursing through her veins.

"It's about time, don't you think?" she says softly. "Haru-kun."

Nanase-- no, Haru, makes a face. "You don't have to be so formal," he chides. "Just Haru is fine."

Just Haru. The most intimate of appellations, granted to her just like that. Her giddiness increases triplefold. "Alright," she says happily. "Haru."

The name rolls easily off her tongue, smooth and maybe a little breathless. It sounds even better without the suffix. _Haru_. Like spring, and new beginnings.

She places her glass on the table and uncrosses her legs, folding her hands on her lap. She wonders what they should talk about. She already knows what he's studying. Maybe she could ask about Matsuoka and Tachibana and how they got together? She is genuinely curious, but she's not sure if it sounds too creepy.

Before she can settle on a suitable conversation topic however, Haru speaks up first.

"Congratulations on winning the relay," he says. "You and your team swam well."

Right, they can talk about swimming. Of course.

"Ah yes, thank you!" she replies, smiling, reminding herself to relay the message to Michiru and the others. "Congratulations to you too-- coach told us you set a new record!"

Haru shrugs, but there's a pleased flush on his cheeks-- and this is one part of him that _has_ changed. Haru used to dismiss his accomplishments so easily, claiming that he doesn't swim to win, but now, he's basking in his achievements, recognizing them for what they really are: something he should be proud of.

"Thank you," he says. "It's all thanks to my coach's training though."

Aki shakes her head. "Don't be so modest Nanase-kun. You have natural talent," she chides. "Your swimming is just breathtaking... when I watch you, it's so hard to look away." She wonders if that was too forward, but she meant every single word. "No wonder Matsuoka-kun wanted you so badly in his team-- I really was so happy when you agreed to do the relay!"

Haru huffs and takes a sip of his water. "Rin was so pushy and demanding," he replies. He looks back at his plate, eyes strangely focused, and Aki just knows he is remembering that moment, "But I am glad we did the relay too."

"Yeah, there's something about putting all your trust on your teammates that makes everything so thrilling." Aki agrees. "I can't explain it-- swimming is normally such a solitary sport, but in a relay... even if we're not swimming at the same time, it still feels like we're still swimming together?" She laughs self-consciously. "Sorry, that probably sounds silly, but--"

"--It's not silly," Haru cuts in, looking mildly offended that Aki would even consider such a thought. "I know what you mean. And so does Makoto and Rin and Nagisa." He shifts, turning slightly towards Aki, their knees almost knocking together. He's fixing her with that _look_ \-- sharp and focused, like there is nothing in the world that can break his attention. "Rin told me what it is."

Aki feels her breath hitch at Haru's nearness. There's an unmistakable light in his eyes, breathtaking in its intensity, as he leans even closer, as if imparting to her a great and wonderful secret.

"A sight you've never seen before," Haru continues. "That's what Rin said." He smiles, mouth shaped in a hopeful curve, trusting Aki to understand. "That's what we got."

Aki can't explain the exact feeling Haru's words inspire in her-- a mix of fondness and knee-weakening _awe_ , because this? This is the part about Haru that Aki has always admired-- it's never _just_ about swimming with him. He's so attuned to the experience of being in the water itself and sharing this experience with others, that it becomes something more than a mere sport. It's something that inspires genuine emotions, forming the foundations of everlasting memories, the kind that make their mark on a person and never truly leave.

"I think that's what I felt too," she whispers after a while. Haru meets her eyes again, and at that moment, it's as if they just _clicked_ together, brought about by the same powerful emotion from two different experiences.

Haru looks happy, the smile on his face no less sincere despite the fact that it's just a small stretch of his lips. People make the mistake of thinking Haru is not an expressive person, but through the times she's spent with him, Aki has come to know better. Haru is very expressive; it's just that he has an understated way of showing his emotions.

Like now. She doesn't know how or when it happened, but sometime between teasing Haru about finally seeing him with some clothes on and talking about their similar experiences with the relay, something shifted between them. It both scares Aki and excites her at the same time.

"Aki," he says, and oh gosh, Aki's not sure if it's just her imagination, but Haru appears to be moving _closer_. She bites her lip, heartbeat roaring in her ears, drowning out every other sound in the room. Her fingers are clenched so deeply into the couch leather, she wouldn't be surprised if her nails rip through it.

Then--

"NANASEEE!"

Aki nearly jumps off her seat at the loud booming voice behind them. She reels back instinctively.

And just in time too, because Ishikawa is presently leaning over the back of the couch, right in the middle, cleaving through their cozy airspace like a particularly bulky machete.

"Nanase, the guys and I are gonna do a boat race, do you want to join?"

Aki raises her eyebrows in surprise. She knows their university has a huge budget for the swim team but hiring boats for entertainment purposes is kind of overkill. And where would they even go racing at this time of night? Samida river is overrun with tour boats; racing would not be only be difficult, it would also be disruptive.

"We're going sailing?" Haru asks, brow furrowed. "Now?"

Ishikawa laughs and pats him on the back. "You could put it that way. Come on, it's your party. Live a little!"

Haru looks to Aki, and Aki, not knowing what else to do, shrugs and gestures at him to go on with it. She really can't monopolize Haru-- it wouldn't be fair to his team.

"I'll wait for you here!~" she calls out, waving worriedly as Haru stumbles after Ishikawa.

"You don't need to wait Yazaki! Come watch!" Ishikawa hollers, before dragging Nanase away.

The boat race, as it turns out, does not involve any boats-- it doesn't even involve sailing or water even.

No. It involves a table, a keg of beer, and two lines of rowdy guys intending to get wrecked and, for some bizarre reason, soak their hair in beer, if she understands the rules correctly. It's called a boat race, because it's an English acronym meaning "Beer On A Table."

Haru is clearly annoyed at the noise and this outrageous deceit, and he's looking at Aki like he wants her to whisk him away from this horrible place. Aki can only shrug in sympathy-- she really can't help Haru, now that Ishikawa has cemented Haru's place as a participant, handing him a large mug filled to the brim with frothing wheat beer.

She decides to stick close to him though, ready to pull Haru away when this whole stupid exercise in machismo is done. She eyes the mug in Haru's hands warily. It's just one mug -- one incredibly _huge_ mug-- probably with a 500ml capacity. She's fairly certain at least a third of the people in the room are not legally allowed to drink, but since the party is being held in a private, upscale clubhouse, this doesn't seem to be a particularly strong impediment.

"It's just like a relay!" Ishikawa cheers, when the timer starts, and the "race" begins. "BOTTOMS UP NANASE!!!"

Aki bites her lip as she watches Haru attempt to drink the entire mug of beer in one go. The crowd surrounding the table wildly cheers him on but he's really slow about it, and Aki can see he's struggling. Has he even drank a single drop of alcohol in his entire life? Why are they drinking anyway, won't this wreak havoc on their strict diets?

Haru eventually finishes, looking a little worse for wear. He almost drops the mug when he sloppily places it on his head to show he drank every single drop. His cheeks are flushed, eyes dazed, and he looks like he's struggling to keep his balance.

Seriously, who allowed this?

Haru's slow start costs his team the win, and as punishment, they all have to drink a shot of whiskey.

"For the team!" Ishikawa crows, and they all drink up.

Haru manages to down his shot, but the look of disgust on his face after he finishes is all Aki needs to know that he is _not_ having a good time. Aki fears he might end up throwing up, but he doesn't look nauseous, just incredibly pissed off.

So as soon as Ishikawa turns around to focus on some other unfortunate teammate, Aki hurries to Haru's side and tugs at his wrist.

"Let's get you some fresh air," she mutters, and guides Haru out the doors and into the pool area.

A cool summer breeze flutters by when they step out, and Aki is grateful for it, the balmy blast of air a welcome respite from the stifling temperature in the clubhouse. Beside her, Haru breathes in. He stumbles a little, his shoes scraping across some stray rocks on the grass. Aki reaches out automatically to catch him, securing an arm around his waist.

He's warm. Very warm. So warm, it's apparently contagious because Aki can feel her own skin heating up-- this is the closest she has been with Haru since.... well, _ever._ She licks her lips and tries to focus on how to help Haru through his inebriated state and not on how she can feel the ridges of his abs even through his suit. "Do you want to leave?" she whispers.

Haru shakes his head and shifts his focus forward. Then he stops. The alcohol haze in his eyes lifts instantly, and slowly, he straightens up, feet finally finding purchase on the earth below him. "Beautiful pool..." he murmurs, mesmerized.

Aki breathes a sigh of relief. At least Haru's bad mood seems to be lifting. After making sure Haru can stand up on his own, she reluctantly disengages herself, watching Haru as his hands reach up to unbutton his suit.

Poor thing, his suit must be stifling him so much. She readily helps him out of it, slipping the sleeves off his arms, eager to relieve his discomfort.

"Okay, take a breather first," she says, as she takes the coat away, and looks around for somewhere to temporarily place it on. She finds a lounge chair sitting some ways from the pool edge, nestled in between two fake palm trees, and heads over there immediately.

She carefully arranges the suit in a way that would prevent it from getting wrinkled. Then there's a weird clinking sound behind her, like metal hitting soil and she turns around.

On the ground is a belt, and beside it, is a dress shirt, a pair of leather shoes, and socks.

And across from her, Haru has somehow managed to seamlessly remove his pants while brisk walking towards the pool -- a highly coordinated feat that would normally impress Aki, but as it stands, all she feels is sheer, blinding _panic._

She doesn't know how she does it but she manages to sprint across the lawn despite wearing weaponized shoes, blocking Haru before he can fully tip himself into the water.

"Haru-- no, we can't use the pool!" she cries, pushing against him. She's vaguely aware that she's pressing her palms against his bare pecs, and her thigh is wedged between his legs, but this is not the time to be a prude-- the sign clearly says that the pool is _strictly_ off-limits and between facing the wrath of prissy club owners and unintentionally groping Haru, the choice is pretty obvious.

Seriously, no contest.

Haru struggles, pushing back. "It's hot Aki, I need to cool down," he complains.

Aki desperately plants her feet on the ground to keep him away, applying more force.

Unfortunately, stiletto heels are terrible footwear for this kind of exercise and the thin heel catches on one of the marble pool side's grooves. Gravity does the rest.

She falls backwards, Haru still clinging to her. The next thing she knows is, she's underwater, cold seeping through her bones, her breath coming out in bubbles.

Her skirt flares up above her hips and she instinctively presses the fabric down because god, she's practically _flashing_ Haru at this point. She's trying to remember what panties she wore today-- hopefully they're not the granny ones with bears on them. But then again, she's not feeling wet fabric against her butt cheeks-- which means she must be wearing a _thong._ Momentarily, she feels relieved that she just got herself waxed a couple of days ago.

Her brief contemplation about her choice of underwear and personal grooming habits is halted when Haru's arms tighten around her waist and pull her up.

They break the surface, and Aki thrashes, spitting out chlorine water.

"Are you okay?" Haru asks her, hands still loosely cradled around her waist.

"I can swim, Haru," Aki snaps as she treads water-- one of her shoes feels lighter, and Aki suspects she snapped off the metal heel lier. _Goodbye 7k yen_ , she thinks miserably. Her wet dress clings pathetically to her frame, and she shivers. She really should be disentangling herself from Haru at this point-- she can just imagine what this might look like to other people, but the water is so _cold_ , and Haru is really, impossibly _warm_.

"I know... but your hands looked like they were pinned to your thighs," Haru explains sheepishly.

Aki doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. "That's because I was trying to push down my skirt so I don't expose myself to you!"

"Oh." Haru actually looks a bit abashed at his actions and he moves back, removing his arms around her. Aki is ashamed to admit she actually misses them. "Sorry."

She sighs instead and runs a hand through her wet hair. She's vaguely aware of some of the party goers rushing out to see the commotion but that’s the least of her worries right now. "It's okay..." she says, even if it's not. God, Tachibana owes her _so much._

"...I didn't see anything, if that's what you're wondering..." Haru offers, looking away.

"Good," she says. "Come on, let's get out… of..."

She trails off mid-sentence, when she spots a dark, patterned material floating on the water a few feet away from them.

Haru follows her gaze. "Oh. I think those are my boxers."

Aki takes a deep breath, buries her face in her hands, and sinks back into the pool to cool the unbearable rush of heat to her face.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy HaruAki Party Couryielle! I’d like to apologize-- this fic is still incomplete as I hadn’t expected our simple plot of “the stages of the HaruAki courtship as observed by Haru’s exposed butt” would balloon to this… 12k+ words and counting monstrosity. The fault is entirely mine, as Alma would probably be done with her part if she didn’t have to wait for me. 
> 
> We shall endeavor to post the next half sooner than later. Again, my sincerest apologies for the delay in completion-- in the meantime, I hope this 12k+ words of Harubutt hilarity for the first half will keep you occupied until we finish the whole thing. <3
> 
> \- Ad_Astra


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